Tuesday, December 23, 2008
merry christmas!
Monday, December 22, 2008
las vegas
thursday we went to the price is right show (my favorite game show of all time :) it was SO fun! steve got called up & got to spin the wheel. the lady ahead of him spun .95, then he spun the 1.00. i jumped up & seriously about peed my pants. so, he got a bonus spin & he spun .15 so he got an extra $500 on top of the $350. they called a couple more contestants up then they called ME up. i was shocked because they only call about 12 people up for the whole show - what are the odds out of 600 people that steve & i BOTH get called up. well, i had to bid on a wine cellar- that in itself was a joke since i don't drink wine BUT i got the bid within $5 so I got to go on stage & play PLINKO. the host was totally razzing me & having fun with me. i'd have to say it made the show quite entertaining at my expense ... he asked where i was from & why i came to vegas. i kept saying 10th but couldn't think of "anniversary". when i finally got it out, he said YOUR anniversary, like i wasn't old enough. he put togther that the steve in shorts that spun the wheel & i were married. he asked me what makes a happy, long marriage - without thinking i said GREAT SEX. than you can only imagine how that opened the doors about being prego with our 4th, etc. he kept saying i needed to be careful jumping around & being pregnant & it was only a game - i told him i'd done much worse for $ while i was pregnant. it was hilarious. well, i had 4 products i had to price to get the plinko chips - i did not get ANY. they were the weirdest items & the prices were so out there too. so, he gave me one chip & i went up & dropped it into the $500 slot. so, all said & done - steve & i left there with $1400 cash. great little bonus to our trip!
everything was perfect until we were at the airport to come home. the slc airport was closed & they were not letting any flights into slc. we finally got out & home but it was a process. i was happy that we got home in time for our christmas party (we had at our house so it would of been really bad if we didn't make it back).
Saturday, December 13, 2008
10 years
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
it is really cool - you can find & reconnect with people. it does have some security, you have to invite them to be your friend & they have to accept BEFORE you can view their profile/photos/etc. i guess it is a pretty good feature but some people i want to see but i don't want them to know i want to see them (ex: ex boyfriends, husbands ex-girlfriend, etc). HA!
steve left town on a guy trip sat. morning, i logged into facebook after i put the kids to bed sat. night & it has consumed my last couple of days (not that i wasn't busy enough with 3 kids) but when the kids go to bed at 8:30 & sleep 11 hours... i don't need sleep, much less 11 hours. i moved to hawaii soon after high school graduation & have not been back to tennessee much since. then, when i was in hawaii, i met SO many people from all over the world & have not kept in touch with too many of them either. it has been fun to reconnect with people from 15-20 years ago.
Observation:
it is amazing to me how most people look the same & haven't changed much, even after 15-20 years. some are doing the same thing they were doing 20 years ago. i guess that just shows you that MOST people develop their values, characteristics, goals, personalities, etc. at a young age. Yes, we mature & grow up over the years but those child/teenage years are VITAL!
with all that being said, i try so hard to teach my kids life lessons & i expect the very best - in that sense i am a strict parent. i feel like my kids are knowledgeable & aware of things that are beyond their years. they ask & i explain- no matter what. at times, i think that i should not discuss such topics with 7&8 year old kids but then again I ask WHY NOT?! they have to learn sometime. i always want my kids to know they can talk to me & ask me anything and i will tell them the truth. so, what happens when they ask if santa is real? HA! i think as parents we always question how we raise & teach our kids - they are ultimately our responsibility. i try to balance my high expectations of my kids with a lot of fun! i think having fun & being a kid with the kids is so important too (plus it is a great stress reliever). i was taught work hard & play hard - i try to implement work hard & play HARDER! anyways, just my profound thought of the day. their are so many different parenting styles out there - what kind of parent are you??
Thursday, November 27, 2008
let me explain
here are the details...
due date april 16th - so i am 20 weeks
the baby looks healthy - whew!
we are having another brock, i mean BOY! (we hope he is as perfect as brock :)
i wanted to wait until christmas to tell but was afraid i would be showing
yes, i have been sick but not as bad as i was with brock - thank goodness!
we just really felt like brock needed a friend
the kids are beyond thrilled. had to convince keegan that being the ONLY girl would have GREAT benefits (she really would of liked a sister but is over it already & we are not sure we could of handled another girl :)
reason for waiting SO long to tell: 2 reasons really.
first, since i was SO sick with brock, i thought it would make it easier on me if nobody knew. i could almost forget about it?! it is hard when you feel horrible & everyone is continually asking how you are doing. so, i thought if nobody knew- nobody would ask & hopefully i could almost forget i was pregnant & sick (i never could forget about it as throwing up is a great reminder - HA!)
second, we had a scare with brock that he was down syndrome. i knew my age was not in my favor with this one & i was at increased risk for a down syndrome baby- i wanted to get the test results back that everything was normal before telling anyone. not that it would of made a difference IF it came back that this baby was down syndrome, i would of just wanted to know first.
so, we are excited & know for sure this is the LAST one!!!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
confession
i have a confession to make that is quite embarrasing but i have made great progress in the last couple days. Steve & I have had ipods for a LONG time but still in the packaging. We have purchased itunes gift cards that have sat in a drawer for over a year. We both have iphones which neither one have ONE song on them. it isn't that we don't like music, it just has not been a priority. there have been many times that i would of loved an ipod loaded with music but it isn't one of those things that i have to have by a certain date so it hasn't happened. in fact, i made a deal with steve over the summer that if he loaded my ipod with some good work out music then i would start running with him. (those who know me know that is huge for me - btw, that deal is NOT still on - it expired when it turned chilly outside :)
anyways, our friends sam & lori came over friday night & after dinner, i asked sam if he could show me how to upload new pics to my iphone (the guy at the apple store helped me load some when i first got my iphone but that has been over a year ago). sam about died when he realized i did not have a itunes account nor had i ever updated my iphone much less not have any tunes. after a couple hours of getting everything updated & set-up the FUN began (THANKS SAM!!). i started downloading games, songs, movies, etc. it is so easy. i have spent the most part of my weekend playing games, buying songs, editing pictures & just going down memory lane. let's just say that i have burned through the $50 gift cards that we had bought & it didn't take too long - HA! my iphone is chuck full of stuff now & i still haven't even used 25% of my capacity. i am just giddy thinking how it will not only entertain me at the airport, doctors office, etc. but also my kids - especially brock. he loves my phone (calculator, pictures, notepad) & thinks it is his. i know he is going to freak once he finds all the new stuff on it now.
anyways, i am EXCITED!! it is one of those things that i knew everyone was into & just loved but did not know what i was missing until now. this is just one of the things on my list to get done - i just didn't realize how fun it was going to be & how much time i would spend on it.
Friday, November 21, 2008
your list?
However, i am REALLY going to TRY to get everything done BEFORE the 10th this year, ok maybe the 13th. that is huge for me as i am the one usually addressing christmas cards on the 23rd & having to express gifts that need to be mailed. i just don't want to be scrambling around & stressed at the last minute this year. that is MY GOAL. i want to relax & truly enjoy the season WITHOUT any distractions this year. i will report & let you know my progress.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
100 days
i know it has been a bit since i have blogged but i have been a little focused on wrapping up 2008 - yes, already! can you beleive it?? i just got home from my last event of the year. so happy to be home for 100 days but also sad to not teach/see so many friends for so long. it is always a much needed break & my kids look forward to the 100 DAYS (i am not actually sure how many days until i travel again but it is around 100). My kids always count down the shows the last couple months until our 100 DAYS. it is exciting for us ALL to be home & together for 100 DAYS - catch up time & LOTS of FUN!!!
we started off the 100 days by going to see the play Peter Pan. it was great. jake & keegan were glued to the performance & brock was very good (considering it was over 3 hours). we have a new theatre company close by & are looking forward to seeing many more productions - they did a great job. jake has asked if he can audition for their next production, aristocrats. i will have to find out the time involced as he is already involved in so much.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
does it get any cuter than this?
i saw this little guy & i want one! not sure how zoe would get along with a deer... i have always wanted a cute little money but then they get big & aren't so cute anymore. i guess the same would go for this darling deer. it looks like it will have to be one of santa'a new reindeer when it grows up. Read more here.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
God Bless America PLEASE!?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
happy halloween!
hope everyone had a fun & safe halloween!
halloween is such a fun time. it is by far my mom's favorite holiday (NOT!!) & i think it has just rubbed off on us. Actually, my kids love halloween just as much if not better than christmas?! brock was elmo even though by the time it was halloween, he really wanted to be cookie monster. keegan was the cutest vampire. not sure who jake was - he just wanted that cool mask & weapon.
we start trick-or-treating with this group & it gets smaller as the night progresses.
brock wanted to eat the candy from one house before going to the next house - as you could imagine that did not work too well. after about 20 houses, we put him in the stoller & it was much easier to have he hop out once we got to the porch. keegan, brock & i came home after about 1 hour & handed out candy. (we had left a bowl of candy on the porch & it had gotten dumped TWICE in that hour). in years past, the night ends up with steve, jake & madison being the last ones on the streets. here are some pics of our gang just before heading out for the night:
halloween party
another halloween party
Thursday, October 23, 2008
happy birthday brock!
my baby is 2 - no longer a baby but a extremely active boy with more personality than anyone can imagine! brock doesn't really know it is his birthday but just excited about the fact that he can now officially have sugar (& he has had a overload of it today already). we thought about what to do today for brocks birthday & thought that everyday is like it is his birthday - our lives all revolve around brock :) brock always gets "special" attention all day long & always does whatever he wants.
so, happy birthday brock!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
happy birthday keegan!
keegan turns 7 today & i swear she is turning 17!
we let the kids plan their day from the minute they wake up until we fall asleep.
here is keegans' day:
sleep in (that's my girl)
big breakfast including sausage, fruit, pancakes & oj
go to target & shop the dollar section :)
go shopping for new clothes
play games as a family
hip hop dance
go to sweet & sassy & get a makeover
eat at texas roadhouse
open presents
have mint brownies
watch movie & have a late night
what a great day!
she was so full of herself & loving every second of it.
happy birthday keegan!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
nothing
the surprise party
body worlds
we went to this exhibit hosted by the leonardo - it is here in slc for a few months. it is all real human specimens & quite a profound experience. it was very staggering to see how complex our bodies truly are. you could visually see firsthand the network of muscles, blood vessels, bones, organs, etc. it is one of those things that if given an opportunity you need to just go. steve & i decided it would be an good educational experience for jake & keegan. it was very graphic - but the kids LOVED it. i can understand how some parents do not feel like it is appropriate for children but i am glad we took the kids. it definitely promotes learning & wonder - left them with a thirst to learn more. we each had a audio tour - the kids version is shorter & more basic then the adult version. we listened to less than 1/2 - if i had gone by myself & could of focused on the audio is would of been worth it but since the kids had so many questions it was more of a waste than useful. they said it would take about a hour to go through - we were there 2.5 hours.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
happy 40th birthday, Steve!
we were in Kansas City during Steve's big day.
40 things about steve:
(these are random = no particular order)
1. he is VERY patient
2. he laughs with me
3. he loves spending time with his kids
4. a very hard worker
5. he is sensitive (he doesn't necessarily want everyone to know this)
6. he makes sure the house is always safe & secure
7. he shops & even tries to find deals/sales
8. he doesn't care what is for dinner (or even if there is dinner)
9. he is strong
10. he honors the priesthood
11. he is competitive & loves to play games
12. he does laundry (yes, all of it :)
13. he is generous & charitable
14. he can change a dirty diaper without being asked to or complaining about it
15. he compliments me often
16. he knows every sport (& every stat/record & every player & every game)
17. he can deal with Keegan when i can't
18. he never asks about $ (what i buy, how much i spend, etc)
19. he is never stressed
20. he has the biggest conscious
21. he is athletic & stays active
22. he puts the toilet seat down when he is finished
23. he loves watching cartoons with the kids
24. he'll give me back massages w/o me begging
25. he makes sure the cars are always full of gas
26. he showers before getting into bed
27. he always takes time to talk/listen
28. he is caring
29. he'll watch the same CSI episdoe several times w/me
30. he loves eating frozen cookie dough & ice cream in bed late at night
31. he always scoops/bags zoe's poop when we go on walks
32. he communicates with me first before making any plans
33. he is the best example of the perfect dad to our boys
34. he drives the speed limit
35. he shovels the sidewalk/driveway first thing in the morning
36. he always makes me his top priority
37. he gets out of bed to fart & always laughs afterwards
38. he makes sure the kids are always respectful
39. he has a very DRY sense of humor
40. he is so supportive in everything i do
Happy Birthday Babe! I couldn't ask for anything more!!!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
ty detmer charity dinner
after socializing a bit & a delicious dinner - there was a live auction. can i just tell you how fascinated i am at auctions. the excitement is right up my alley. i don't know how the auctioneer can talk so fast & see everyone at once - simply amazing! well, i ended up bidding on a gun safe??? from when i started bidding on it there were 5 of us then just 2 of us back & forth. i ran the bid up $1000 & finally decided to let it go. after it sold to the other bidder for $3200 they right then offered another one to me for my last bid of $3100 so I took it. talk about being put on the spot. i think the bidder got a kick out of me & since i was the ONLY female all night that bid - he was having fun with it. this is my new purchase:
now what?
steve humored everyone by telling them the only gun we own is a 38 special that my grandmother gave me years ago. (She decided the gun probably did her no good being carried around in her purse since she knew she couldn't pull the trigger due to her arthritis). i have no intentions in collecting guns - just thought it would be good to have to store important documents & files. we have safe security box at the bank & it would be more convenient to have those things here.
i got it for a good deal too - apparently, the safe i got is about a $5000 safe. plus, it is a tax write-off & the money went to charity ... it doesn't get much better than that.
anybody know of any other auctions i can be entertained with? never know what i might bid on.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
fall family pictures
Friday, September 19, 2008
salt lake scrapbook show
*note: the slc show is run totally different than any other scrapbook show! it is more like a garage sale atmosphere & we don't really have garage sale stuff.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
cookies?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
jake's baptism day
well, to make a long story short - jake wanted to be baptized on saturday, september 6th. he was very excited & i was scheduled to be out of town for a girls weekend. i attempted to talk him into doing it later but he wanted nothing to do with that. his best girl friend, madison, which lives next door was going to get baptized on the same day. so, i rescheduled my flight to come home a day early. my flight landed at 3:05 & i had to be at church by 4 (the airport is 30 minutes away) & had my mom pick me up curbside (thanks mom!). I left my luggage in pheonix (thanks corinne!) & changed into my dress in the airport. i made it - i even got to the church before steve & jake did. my sister (thanks somm!) came by the house & helped get brock ready & help with brock so steve could focus on jake w/o the distraction of brock. the baptism was great!! jake was so nervous but looked handsome as ever! afterwards, we all got together at katwyks (thanks ambra!) for some yummy food & good times. it was beautiful weather! we had so many people come & support us. jake was thrilled. we are so proud of jake & the decision he has made. we hope he will always remember what a special day it was & how he felt.
Friday, September 12, 2008
update
Thursday, August 28, 2008
crop
Bingham High School Minerette's are hosting a fund raising scrapbook crop
Saturday, Septemeber 6th at Bingham High
(2200 w 10600 s in south jordan)
9am-2pm.
Tickets are $20
* page layout contest w/prizes awarded
* make & take projects
* LOTS of prizes given away during the crop
* everyone will receive a goodie bag
All proceeds will go to Bingham Minerette's drill team.
Email sandi@paperloft.com to purchase your tickets.
GO BINGHAM!!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
a day at the lake
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
valley forge
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
water slide
we got this waterslide for the kids for the summer- steve found it at costco & could not resist.
Monday, July 28, 2008
keegan's hair
here are the before & after: